In 2017 we received many distressing reports about freedom of religion or belief violations in Vietnam. These included harassment, intimidation, forced eviction, intrusive surveillance, disruption of religious services, confiscation of Bibles, religious leaflets, items used for church services, etc, arrest, imprisonment, torture and extra-judicial killing. It’s a deeply worrying situation, and we’re working with many activists both inside and outside Vietnam to help end this violence.

• Sunday 11 March
  

Hoa Hao Buddhists are frequently harassed, assaulted and driven out of their places of worship by the authorities. Today, pray that the government would allow the Hoa Hao to worship in peace and would stop targeting them with violence. 

• Monday 12 March
  

Last November we joined several other religious freedom groups in calling for the release of prisoners of conscience in Vietnam: according to the NOW! Campaign, at least 165 prisoners of conscience are being detained, though the real number is likely much higher. Please pray that these prisoners of conscience would be released and the charges against them dropped.

• Tuesday 13 March
  

Last August, the human rights lawyer Nguyen Van Dai reached 600 days of being detained without trial. He was arrested in 2015 while preparing to meet EU representatives to discuss human rights issues in Vietnam: he now faces the prospect of 20 years in prison. Please join us in praying for Nguyen Van Dai’s release, and for God’s presence to be very real to him while he is in prison.

• Wednesday 14 March
  

Nguyen Cong Chinh is a pastor and advocate for freedom of religion or belief who is currently serving an 11-year prison sentence. He was tried in March 2010 without legal representation and convicted of ‘undermining national unity policy’. Like Nguyen Van Dai, please pray that he would be released soon.

• Thursday 15 March
  

One of the most difficult problems for churches in Vietnam is the ‘asking and granting mechanism’, a law that means that churches have to ask permission from the government to hold religious activities. This is unnecessarily restrictive and leads to abuses: please pray that this law would be repealed.

• Friday 16 March
  

Pastor A Dao is a church leader who was arrested in 2016 while on his way to visit some members of his church. His family were not informed of his arrest and heard nothing from him for five days. In April 2017 Pastor A Dao was sentenced to five years in prison for ‘illegally taking people to Thailand’. When his wife and three other church members tried to visit him, prison authorities refused. Please pray that Pastor A Dao would be allowed to receive visitors, and that he’d be released from prison.

• Saturday 17 March
  

Father God, we pray for all those in Vietnam who are detained because of what they believe, or for standing up for the rights of others. We ask that you would comfort them in prison, and move powerfully in the hearts of the authorities so that they would be released soon. Amen.